Short answer — stay around Galle Face / Kollupitiya (Colombo 2–3) or in Cinnamon Gardens (Colombo 7). Those give the quickest access to Colombo’s best hotel restaurants, high‑end standalone places (Ministry of Crab, Nihonbashi), rooftop bars and the sunset promenade. If you want a beach‑resort vibe with memorable seafood dinners, consider Mount Lavinia just south of the city. (breathingtravel.com)

Recommended places (by vibe)

• Luxury hotels with multiple destination restaurants (easy one‑stop dining)

  • Shangri‑La, Colombo — big all‑day buffet, fine Chinese (Shang Palace) and speciality venues. Great if you want several high‑quality options under one roof. (shangri-la.com)
  • Cinnamon Grand Colombo — famous for Nuga Gama (traditional village dining), The Lagoon (seafood) and The London Grill. Excellent for varied, high‑quality hotel dining. (cinnamonhotels.com)
  • Taj Samudra — multiple restaurants (Ports of Call buffet, Yumi Japanese, Golden Dragon Chinese) and reliable hotel dining options. (tajhotels.com)
  • Galle Face Hotel — colonial icon with The Verandah, 1864 Limited Edition and beach/rooftop concepts; good for a memorable oceanfront meal. (gallefacehotel.com)

• Stay near the Dutch Hospital / Fort (best for destination restaurants)

  • Book a hotel close to Fort/Galle Face if you want easy walking access to Ministry of Crab, the Dutch Hospital dining precinct and other top standalone restaurants. Ministry of Crab is in the Old Dutch Hospital complex — a short walk from the Galle Face area. (ministryofcrab.com)

• Rooftop / trendy dining and bars

  • Cinnamon Red (Cloud Red rooftop) — popular rooftop bar with skyline/ocean views and tapas-style bites. Good for sunset drinks and casual evening dining. (therooftopguide.com)

• Beachside / romantic seafood (outside central Colombo)

  • Mount Lavinia Hotel (Dehiwala–Mount Lavinia) — classic beachfront hotel with several seafood and sunset dining options (Governor’s Restaurant, Seafood Cove, The Terrace). If you don’t mind a short transfer, it’s a very pleasant alternative. (mountlaviniahotel.com)

Practical tips

• Choose your base by the food you want: Galle Face/Kollupitiya for hotel‑restaurant variety + sunset strolls; Cinnamon Gardens for leafy cafés, fine dining and quieter nights; Fort/Dutch Hospital if your priority is top standalone restaurants like Ministry of Crab. (breathingtravel.com)
• Book tables in advance for popular restaurants (Ministry of Crab, Nihonbashi, hotel signature venues) — they fill up, especially at dinner. (ministryofcrab.com)
• Check dress codes (some fine‑dining hotel restaurants and rooftop bars are smart‑casual). (shangri-la.com)

If you’d like, I can:

• Suggest 3–5 specific hotels in your budget (luxury / midrange / boutique) with links and typical nightly price ranges, or
• Build a 1–2 day sample dining itinerary (where to eat lunch/dinner and when to reserve).